The prepuce is highly vascularized, so it is likely to hemorrhage when cut, and severing the frenular artery is very common. Infants have a miniscule amount of blood in their tiny bodies and can tolerate only about a 20 percent blood loss before hypovolemia, hypovolemic shock, and death. A 4000 gram male newborn has only 11.5oz (340 ml) of total blood volume at birth, 85 ml per kilogram of weight. Blood loss of only 2.3oz, (68 ml), 20% of total blood volume at birth is sufficient to cause hypovolemia. Many newborns, and especially premature infants, weigh much less and a smaller amount of blood loss would be sufficient to trigger hypovolemic shock in those infants. Circumcision of infants, therefore, carries the inherent danger of hypovolemic shock and death.

This is one reason that so many clamps are used on the amputation site when the prepuce organ is removed during circumcision surgery - to stop the 'bleeders.' It is also the reason these clamps are left in place at least 5 minutes after cutting is complete (as horrifically painful as this is for a newborn who cannot be put under general anesthesia at this stage in life). The penile clamping is an attempt to prevent this new little baby from hemorrhaging to death. As much as we'd like to prevent all infant death, healthy babies were simply not designed to have functioning organs cut from their body at birth, and consequences are much more common than some U.S. parents are led to believe.

On many occasions hemorrhaging does not occur until parents leave the surgical site with their freshly cut baby in tow. Diapers, especially the popular absorbent disposable diapers ubiquitous in today's baby culture, easily hide 1-2 ounces of blood from a festering wound. We've heard others blame parents, "They should have SEEN the blood and rushed their baby to the ER!" But we cannot always be so quick to blame misinformed parents wading through the myths of genital cutting.

First, no one tells parents who are about to cut their baby that he may well hemorrhage from the surgery, and that the possibility of death exists.

Second, rarely are parents briefed on ALL the complications that can and do arise post-op for a circumcised baby.

Third, even 2 ounces of blood is easily hidden in a disposable diaper and by the time a diaper change takes place, it may be too late. DOC reports that, "The quantity of blood loss that can kill an infant—2.3oz—is easily concealed in today’s highly absorbent disposable diaper."

We decided to put this to the test and soaked 2.5 ounces of blood (more than it would take for an infant to hemorrhage and die) into a Huggies brand disposable diaper that had already been slightly 'used' (urine) to closely as possible replicate the scenario. With results that even shocked us here at the DrMomma labs, there is virtually no way to tell that a baby has been bleeding to death when he has a disposable diaper on. In addition, it takes very little time for a fresh amputation site to hemorrhage and lose this much blood.

Fourth, hospitals are quick to cover up 'mistakes,' while a pro-cutting U.S. culture continues to propagate myths about how common morbidity and mortality due to circumcision are. Parents rarely talk openly about their son's death due to circumcision because this would mean admitting an unnecessary cosmetic amputation surgery killed their child.

Finally, it is almost unheard of for an attorney to take a wrongful death due to circumcision case because infants are simply not valued in our society and the pay-out for a short, undervalued life would be negligible.

Because of all of this, the circle of ignorance continues regarding death from circumcision.

So just how many boys die each year as a result of MGM in the United States? We really don't know for certain. U.S. statistical analysis studies conducted on death from circumcision are drastically under-reported because hospitals are not required to log death due to genital cutting surgery. Genital amputation (circumcision) that causes heart attack, hemorrhage, coma, seizure, stroke, or infection may be coded inappropriately as 'SIDS' or 'heart failure' or 'seizure,' for example, but not specifically due to the bodily trauma experienced as a result of circumcision.

Still, these studies have found approximately 230 baby boys die each year in the U.S. as a result of circumcision surgery. (1) Another study published last week found at least 117 boys die annually from circumcision surgery as it is reported by hospitals. (2) We're not alone in our estimation that there are likely at leasttwice as many deaths due to circumcision, because of our non-structured and easy-to-cover-up means of infant mortality reporting. But if we are only looking at research-based documentation, we find an average 174 boys die each year with the documented cause being circumcision surgery.

Especially disturbing in these statistics is that the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) continues to issue widespread warnings about choking as one of the highest causes of death among children, despite the fact that a greater number of infants die from circumcision than from choking. (3)

In an AAP cited study, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission concluded that choking on non-food objects causes approximately 22 deaths per year among all children in the United States. (4) In a national analysis, also cited by the AAP, it was found that choking while eating food causes approximately 73 deaths per year among all children under the age of 10 in the U.S. (5) The AAP teaches parents to be cautious because "choking on food causes the death of approximately 1 child every 5 days in the United States." (6) The rate of boys vs. girls who die from choking is not significantly different, which this means that approximately 1 boy under the age of 10 dies every 10 days from choking in the United States, or 36 boys per year.

Compare this to 1 infant boy dying every 2 days as a result of circumcision in the United States, or an average of 174 boys per year.

All of the deaths due to choking (which are most often related to eating - something we humans must do) are a merefraction of the deaths due to circumcision (an unnecessary and medically contraindicated surgical amputation). If the AAP were to issue a similar warning for circumcision, they must state that circumcision causes the death of approximately 1 child every 2 days. Not only that, but 1 infant dies every 2 days from circumcision, as compared to the estimate that 1 "child under the age of 10" dies every 5 days from choking. And these are solely using the hospital statistics for death due to circumcision (again, the real numbers are likely much higher).

If chokingis otherwise to blame for the some of the highest rates of childhood death in the United States (as the AAP claims that it is), and there are more infant deaths per year as a result of circumcision surgery, it is therefore urgent that we correctly inform parents that one of the greatest causes of death for children in the United States is circumcision.

I have to wonder - where is the AAP warning in all of this?

Below is the story of just one of these babies, Ryleigh McWillis, who died as a result of circumcision.

Ryleigh was suffering from the typical post-op consequences of having an organ amputated from his fresh, fragile body, but was checked over by a doctor and sent home. His parents noted that he was "fussy" all day (again, normal for a tiny human being who has just had 1/3 of their penis cut off - post traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, is ubiquitously common among circumcised babies, resulting in what we often mislabel, "colic").

Ryleigh's diaper had blood in it that evening (again, somewhat common as the amputation site festers, scabs, and attempts to heal itself). But his parents were not overly concerned. His mother said, "It was pinkish because it was diluted by pee." Ryleigh's mother sat up all night holding her crying baby, and when his father changed his diaper in the morning, it again had blood in it. This time they rushed to the hospital. By noon he was evacuated by air to the B.C. Children's Hospital (where 95.1% of baby boys born remain intact from birth).

Despite all the blood transfusions, saline solution, antibiotics, and resuscitation attempts, this little 1-month old baby, born perfectly healthy and happy, died. Ryleigh was intact and whole for his first 4 weeks on earth. Upon needlessly having his penis cut apart, Ryleigh's blood loss caused his organs and heart give out. All of this, for a medically unnecessary cosmetic surgery his parents opted for, at a B.C. location where the MGM rate is just 4.9%.

It is infrequent for parents of babies who die from circumcision to go on the news, or allow interviewers to get involved in their case. The guilt and remorse must be overwhelming. It is difficult enough for parents of cut children who live to handle what was done to their son(s) if and when they learn of all that circumcision takes away from a boy/man. Ryleigh's parents, however, said they wanted to 'make a difference' for others. And yet, in what seems like intense denial of the situation that killed their son, they said they would probably cut another child if they had a second male baby.

Great article. I await all the "pro's" coming in stating that the numbers are fudged. I wonder just how many babies have haemorrhaged to death and been classified as a SIDS death? So sad. It baffles me that parents who love their children to bits (as we all do) would even take the risk.

Edit- bugger, just realised where this post is. I wish it was in the discuss it section. Many people intent on circumcising their son won't even read this forum

Scary story or not...the fact is this boy DIED because of an unnecessary procedure and he's not the only baby boy to die. Parents should be informed that there is a risk of death with this procedure.
My mum's best friend's neighbour's boy was a vegetable because of his circumcision gone terribly wrong. Born perfectly healthy and then lived his life as a vegetable because of a completely unnecessary procedure. Damn straight that's scary....it's scary as all h3ll. I have never forgotten seeing that boy, never forgotten being told what happened to him. It's tragic and just soooo not worth the risk.

Scary story or not...the fact is this boy DIED because of an unnecessary procedure and he's not the only baby boy to die. Parents should be informed that there is a risk of death with this procedure.
My mum's best friend's neighbour's boy was a vegetable because of his circumcision gone terribly wrong. Born perfectly healthy and then lived his life as a vegetable because of a completely unnecessary procedure. Damn straight that's scary....it's scary as all h3ll. I have never forgotten seeing that boy, never forgotten being told what happened to him. It's tragic and just soooo not worth the risk.

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